When Tiger Woods stepped onto the fourth tee during the opening round of the 2019 Zozo Championship, there was little indication of the history-making week ahead of him.
The former world No 1 was returning to action for the first time since knee surgery earlier in the summer, having completed only 17 competitive rounds in the months following his remarkable success at The Masters.
Woods made a nightmare start to his latest comeback from injury at Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club in Japan, bogeying each of his opening three holes, although responded in style to claim a three-stroke victory and record-equalling 82nd PGA Tour title.
Five years on from that victory – the PGA Tour stars in this week’s field reflect on Woods’ most recent worldwide success and look at what the future could hold for the 15-time major champion…
Woods brought ‘major feel’ to Japan
The 2019 edition was the first time that Japan hosted an official PGA Tour event, with over 20,000 fans attending the opening round and large crowds – aside from the Saturday, when spectators were unable to attend due to safety concerns – were present throughout the tournament.
“The first day we stepped out here, the fans that lined the range and the first hole, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Collin Morikawa said. “Not only was it for Tiger, but it was for all of us.”
Xander Schauffele added: “I sat on the first tee with JT (Justin Thomas) and Rory (McIlroy) and I couldn’t believe how many people were just on the property.
“There’s some very big names here that pull a really big crowd, but Tiger seems to always move the needle the most. It felt like a major almost just for the amount of people, like it was 10 rows deep on the first hole and it was insane.”
Woods arrived as a current major champion, having won The Masters for a fifth time in that April to add to his Tour Championship success the previous year, although was teeing it up for the first time since undergoing knee surgery in August.
Tiger shows ‘best golf’ after ‘ugly’ start
Woods bogeyed each of his first three holes on the opening morning before recovering to card a six-under 64, seeing him share the early lead with Gary Woodland, with playing partner Tommy Fleetwood blown away by his impressive fightback.
“He hit it in the water off the first, hooked a tee shot off the next, and then he bogeyed the next and he was three over,” Fleetwood told the PGA Tour. “But from that point on… it probably is the best round of golf I’ve ever watched.
“Just the way he conducted it. The way he played, the control he had of his golf ball. I shook his hand and I was like, ‘Tiger that was really good today’. And he just looks at me and he went, ‘How about that, huh?’ with that big grin of his.
“At that point I was like, man, even he knows it was so good!”
Woods moves ahead in the silence
Friday’s play was postponed due to a typhoon bringing around 10 inches of rain and the second round was delayed further on Saturday, where the course was closed to fans due to safety concerns.
“The day that the course was closed to the fans, we drove in and fans were waiting on the streets with signs, hundreds of people,” Max Homa said. “It was really cool to see.”
Woods birdied his final two holes to card a second-round 64 and grab a two-shot halfway lead, then extended his lead to three shots despite playing the last five holes of a third-round 66 in one over.
“This golf course, when you look at it, it suits his typical style,” Homa added. “You need to be really, really accurate with your irons. I do remember he was driving it really well.
“He was driving it super straight. From there, it feels pretty – the way he plays this golf course can get pretty redundant. It looks so much easier than it actually is, him hitting six-irons to 18 feet over and over again.”
Tiger completes historic success
Woods retained his three-shot cushion with seven holes to play when bad light saw play suspended late on Sunday evening, then returned on Monday morning to complete a convincing victory.
The five-time Masters winner recovered from bogeying his 12th hole to birdie the 14th and safely negotiate the next few holes, with an eight-foot birdie at the last signing off his win in style. Victory moved Woods to world No 6 and level with Sam Snead’s record of 82 PGA Tour titles, with that history not going unnoticed.
“There’s only so many other athletes in sports that have been able to kind of transcend and build and grow a sport,” Morikawa said. “To have his, his 82nd win, in Japan, just so special.”
Schauffele added: “Him winning was obviously really special, but he definitely brought a different feel in 2019 to the tournament on top of his history that he made.”
Woods leaves legacy behind
Woods finished tied-72nd of the 77 players to finish his title defence the following year and hasn’t returned to the Zozo Championship since, with The former world No 1 plagued by injury in recent seasons.
The 48-year-old has only made 11 competitive starts since his career-threatening car crash in February 2021, missing the cut in three of the four majors in 2024, with Woods currently recovering from undergoing “successful” surgery to alleviate “back spasms and pain” in September.
There’s no timeline on when Woods will return to action or whether he will ever be able to add to his tally of PGA Tour victories, although his win at the 2019 contest – at the time a third victory in 14 starts – will be remembered for years to come.
“Naturally anything that Tiger wins is going to amplify that event,” Thomas said. “I think him having that historic win brought that energy and just gave the tournament the recognition I feel like it deserved, or deserves.”
Watch the Zozo Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 4am on Sky Sports Golf or stream with NOW.
